Missile-tossing toy

ABSTRACT

THE TOY INCLUDES A BODY CARRYING A PAIR OF APPENDAGES AND A SWITCH. THE SWITCH MAY COMPRISE AN ELECTRICAL CONTACT MEMBER CARRIED BY EACH APPENDAGE. A MISSLE THROWN TO THE TOY CLOSES THE SWITCH, E.G., THE MISSILE MAY BE ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE TO BRIDGE THE CONTACT MEMBERS, THEREBY COMPLETING AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT WHICH MOVES THE APPENDAGES FROM THEIR INITIAL POSITION TO AN INTERMEDIATE POSITION. A SPRING IS TENSIONED DURING THIS MOVEMENT, THE TENSION BEING RELEASED SUDDENLY CAUSING THE APPENDAGES TO SNAP BACK TO THEIR INITIAL POSITION AND TOSS THE MISSILE.

March 2, 1971 5. TEPPER ET AL. 3,566,537

MISSILE-TOSSING TOY Filed Aug 15, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORB=SID/YE) TA'PPEA ATTORNEYS March 2, 1971 5, TEPPER ETAL 3,566,537

I MISSILE-'TOSSING TOY v Filed Aug. 15, 1969 V ,3 Sheets-Sheet 2 vF/aqa,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,566,537 MISSILE-TOSSING TOY SidneyTepper, Millburn, and Thomas J. Fauls, West Orange, N.J., assignors toTopper Corporation Filed Aug. 15, 1969, Ser. No. 850,401 Int. Cl. A631133/26 US. Cl. 46-247 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The toy includesa body carrying a pair of appendages and a switch. The switch maycomprise an electrical contact member carried by each appendage. Amissile thrown to the toy closes the switch, e.g., the missile may beelectrically conductive to bridge the contact members, therebycompleting an electrical circuit which moves the appendages from theirinitial position to an intermediate position. A spring is tensionedduring this movement, the tension being released suddenly causing theappendages to snap back to their initial position and toss the missile.

This invention relates to animated toys in which there is at least one,and preferably two, appendages movable with respect to a body, and hasparticular reference to such a toy capable of catching and tossing amissile, such as a ball.

The invention will be described and illustrated in connection with ahuman-like doll provided with movable arms, but many phases of theinvention are applicable to a wide variety of animated toys, such as toyanimals.

A general object of the invention is to provide a toy whose appendagesare normally maintained in a missile-receiving condition and which, inresponse to catching a missile, automatically move to an intermediateposition and then suddenly snap back to their initial position, as aresult of which the missile is propelled by the appendanges away fromthe toy.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such a toy includingan electrical circuit for actuating the appendages, the circuit beingcompleted when the toy receives a missile.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a toy whereinthe appendages are simulated human arms, each arm bending at the elbowduring its movement to simulate human ball-tossing arm movement.

To accomplish these objectives, the invention provides a toy bodycarrying an exposed electrical switch, and pivotally supporting a shaftupon which a pair of appendages are mounted. The switch is closed when amissile is tossed to the toy, and completes a motor-energizing circuitwithin the toy body. The switch may comprise an electrical contactcarried by each appendage, and the missile may have a metallized surfacefor bridging the contacts. The electric motor within the body is adaptedto rotate a cam, and a follower link pivots the shaft and arms in onedirection upon rotation of the cam. Simultaneously, a spring connectedto the shaft is tensioned, and during rotation of the cam, the spring ispermitted to snap the shaft and appendages back to their startingposition whereby the missile is tossed by the toy. Following this snapaction, a switch in the motor-energizing circuit automatically opens todiscontinue movement of the appendages until the missile is tossed tothe toy again. Each appendage comprises two parts pivoted together, andwithin these parts is a gear train including a gear fixed to the shaftfor pivoting the two parts with respect to each other during movement ofthe appendage with respect to the toy body.

Additional objects and features of the invention will be apparent fromthe following description in which reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings.

3,566,537 Patented Mar. 2, 1971 ICE In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a doll according to this invention withits arms in ball-receiving position;

FIG, 2 is a perspective view of the doll with its arms in anintermediate ball-tossing position;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front cross-sectional view, on an enlargedscale, taken through the doll body;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the dolls forearm;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side cross-sectional view taken through the dollbody;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing part of the armmoving mechanism;and

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit carried by thedoll.

The toy chosen to illustrate this invention is a doll (FIGS. 1 and 2)having a body v10 and a pair of arms 11 movably mounted on the body atthe shoulder region. Surrounding the wrist of each arm is a metalbracelet 13 serving as an electrical contact. Normally, the arms 11 areoutstretched, as shown in FIG. 1, ready to catch a ball 12 thrown to thedoll. Ball 12 may be hollow and of light-weight material, such asplastic, and is provided with an electrically-conductive exteriorsurface, such as a metal coating. When the ball 12 is received by thedoll, as indicated in broken lines in FIG. 1, it rests against the dollschest and in the dolls arms (illustrated by the upper ball position inFIG. 5), and contacts the two bracelets 13, thereby completing anelectrical circuit within the doll. As a result, the arms 11 pivotdownwardly about the shoulders, but they bend at the elbow, until theyreach the position shown in FIG. 2. During this movement, the ball 12rolls into the hands 14 of the doll (see the lower ball position in FIG.5) and out of engagement with bracelets 13. The circuit neverthelessremains energized until the arms 11 are snapped back to their initialposition (FIG. 1), whereby the ball 12 is tossed by the arms, asillustrated by the full line ball in FIG. 1. The electric circuit isautomatically deenergized, and ready to repeat the cycle described aboveupon receipt of the ball once again.

The mechanism for producing the action referred to above is illustratedin FIGS. 3-6. Within the doll body 11 is a bracket having a back plate15, secured to the body back wall, and two side plates 16 and 17. Ahorizontal shaft 18 passes loosely through holes in side plates 16 and17, whereby it is rotatably retained by the bracket. An arm connectormember 19 (FIG. 3) is fixed to each end of shaft 18 and passes throughan opening in the shoulder region of body 10. Secured to each connector19, for rotation therewith, is the upper end of an upper arm portion 11aof doll arm 11. The edge of each shoulder opening in body 10 is looselyaccommodated within a groove 20 in the upper end of arm portion 11a, sothat the upper arm portion is free to rotate with shaft 18, with respectto doll body 10.

Pivotal movement of shaft 18 is effected by an electrical activatingcircuit including a battery-operated motor 23', supported between thelower end of bracket side plate 16 and a lower side plate 24 carried byback plate 15. The shaft of motor 23 is connected to speed reductiongearing 25 which in turn rotates a shaft 26 journalled between sideplates 16 and 24. A gear 27 carried by one end of shaft 26 meshes with agear 28 carried by one end of another shaft 29 journalled between sideplates 16 and 17. The other end of shaft 29 carries a cam 30 having aninvolute shape. Thus, the cam surface begins at a point 31 (FIG. 6),relatively close to the axis of shaft 29, inclines gradually to a point32 relatively far from the axis of shaft 29, and then drops sharply backto point 31.

The lower end of a vertical follower link 35 rests upon cam 30, and itpasses through a hole in a guide tab 36 projecting horizontally frombracket side plate 17. The upper end of follower 35 passes through anarrow slot in a stop tab 37 projecting horizontally from the upper endof side plate 17, and is formed with a head 38 larger than the width ofthe slot, the reason for which will be mentioned below. Near its upperend, follower link 35 is pivotally connected to a lever 39 at a pointbetween the ends of the lever. One end of lever 39 is fixed to shaft 18,and the other end is connected to the upper end of a tension spring 40,the lower end of which is connected to tab 36.

It will be appreciated that as cam rotates clock- 'wise in FIG. 5,follower moves from point 31 to point 32 and rises gradually therebypivoting lever 39 and shaft '18 counterclockwise causing spring 40 to betensioned. In other words, follower 35 and lever 39 move from theirsolid line positions in FIG. 5 to their broken line positions. As soonas follower 35 passes point 32, during continued rotation of cam 30, thefollower is suddenly unsupported and free to drop back toward point 31,whereupon spring 40 snaps lever 39 and shaft 18 in a clockwisedirection. To avoid damage to the surface of cam 30, the lower end offollower 35 does not strike the cam when spring 40 snaps lever 39downwardly. Instead, head 38 of follower 35 strikes stop tab 37, and thecam surface engages follower 35 during the initial portion of its nextcycle of movement.

The electrical activating circuit includes, in addition to motor 23,batteries 43, bracelets 13, and a switch for by-passing the bracelets.Batteries 43 are housed within an enclosure 44 (FIGS. 3 and 5), formedintegrally with the back portion of doll body 10, projecting through anelongated opening 45 in the bracket back plate 15. A cover 46 closes theenclosure 44 and permits 'access for replacing batteries. A contact (notshown) within the enclosure electrically connects two of the batteryterminals, and the other two terminals are connected as described below.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 7, each bracelet 13 is connected via ametal strip 47, passing into the forearm portion 11b through a hole inthe wrist, to a metal plate 48. The latter is connected by screw 49 to ametal strip 50 which passes through opposed openings in the forearm andupper arm portions, 11b and 1141 respectively, of arm 11. Strip 50 ofone of the arms, i.e., the arm illustrated in FIG. 3, is connected by aWire 51 to metal side plate 16, one terminal of motor 23 also engagingside plate 16. The other motor terminal is connected by wire 52 to abattery terminal 56, and another battery terminal 57 is connected bywire 53 to the bracelet 13 of the other doll arm.

Battery terminal 57 is also connected, by a wire 54 to a metal contactstrip 55 (see also FIG. 6) of the bypass switch. Strip 55 is mounted onside plate 16 by a rivet but is insulated from side plate 16 by a block61, and is insulated from rivet 60 as Well. Near its lower end, strip 55is deformed to define a contact 62 adapted to engage side plate 16. Atits lower end, strip 55 is provided with a button 64 seated against oneface of a disk-like switch actuator 63, the latter being fixed to shaft29. Actuator 63 is substantially flat, but is formed with one rise 65,so that contact 62 is permitted to engage side plate 16 except when rise65 engages button 64, as shown in FIG. 3.

The pivoted elbow connection between forearm 11b and upper arm 11a isachieved by means of a pin 68 (FIG. 3) pivotally held within upper arm11a near its lower end. Fixed to the pin 68, and passing through theopposed openings in the upper arm and forearm, is a member 69 to whichplate 48 and strip 50 are secured, this attachment serving to connectforearm 11b to member 69. Relative pivotal movement between the forearm11b and upper arm 11a is effected by a gear train within the upper arm.A gear 70 is fixed to arm connector member 19, and a gear 71 is fixed topin 68. Three idler gears 72, rotatable on pins mounted within upper arm11a, transmit rotary motion from gear 70 to gear 71, the gear ratiosbeing so chosen that arms 11 each bend at the elbow during movement withrespect to the body 10, as illustrated by the two arm positions in FIG.5.

The operation of the doll is as follows:

In its rest position, the arms of the doll are outstretched, as shown inFIG. 1 and the upper arm position of FIG. 5, and motor 23 isdeenergized, since no ball bridges bracelets 13, and contact 62 is outof engagement with side plate 16 due to the presence of rise 65 againstbutton 64. When electrically conductive ball 12 is caught by the doll(FIG. 1 and upper ball position of FIG. 5), a circuit is completed frombattery terminal 56, through wire 52, motor 23, side plate 16, wire 51,elements 50, 49, 48, and 47, one bracelet 13, ball 12, the otherbracelet 13, and wire 53, to battery terminal 57. Consequently, motor 23is energized and causes rotation of shaft 29, via gearing 25, shaft 26,and gears 27 and 28; hence cam 30 rotates clockwise in FIG. 5. Followerlink 35 rises lifting lever 39 and rotating shaft 18 counterclockwise tolower arms 11. Hence, ball 12 rolls into the dolls hands 14 (lower armand ball position of FIG. 5) and out of engagement with bracelets 1 3.However, motor 23 remains energized, since by this time rise 65 ofswitch actuator 63 has moved away from button 64, and therefore contact62 engages side plate 16. A circuit is completed from battery terminal57, through wire 54, strip 55, side plate 16, motor 23, and wire 52 tobattery terminal 56.

When follower 35 passes point 32 of cam 30, spring 40 snaps arms 11upwardly, via lever 39 and shaft 18, causing the ball -12 to be tossed.Simultaneously rise 65 of actuator 63 moves into engagement with button64, thereby moving contact 62 away from side plate 16, whereby motor 23is deenergized. Use of by-pass switch 55 thus insures that each cycle ofaction of the doll terminates at the same point, i.e., with follower 35engaging approximately the low point 31 of cam 30. The doll is now readyto once again catch and toss ball 12.

The invention has been shown and described in preferred form only, andby way of example, and it is understood, therefore that many variationsmay be made in the invention which will still be comprised within itsspirit. Thus, although the switch which initiates actuation of the toyhas been shown as comprising a pair of bracelets 13, this switch couldbe a micro-switch located on the dolls chest which closes when the ball12 comes to rest against the chest, and which opens when the ball rollsinto the dolls hands. In such a case, the ball 12 need not beelectrically conductive.

What is claimed is:

1. An animated toy comprising:

(a) a body,

(b) at least one appendage movably connected to said body,

(c) an electrical activating circuit carried by said body for movingsaid appendage,

(d) an exposed, normally open switch carried by the toy, said switchforming part of said circuit,

(e) :an independent missile supportable by said ap pendage and when sosupported closing said switch to complete said circuit and causemovement of said apendage from its initial position to an intermediateposition,

(f) a spring linked to said appendage, and

(g) means for tensioning said spring as said appendage moves from saidinitial to said intermediate position and thereafter suddenly releasingthe tension in said spring, whereby said spring causes said appendage tosnap back to its initial position and thereby toss said missile.

2. An animated toy as defined in claim 1 including two appendages, andwherein said switch includes a pair of spaced apart electrical contactmembers carried by said appendages, and said missile is electricallyconductive and bridges said contact members when supported by saidappendages.

3. An animated toy as defined in claim 2 wherein said missile is a ballhaving an electrically conductive outer surface.

4. An animated toy as defined in claim 2 wherein said toy is a doll, andsaid appendages are the arms of the doll.

5. An animated toy as defined in claim 4 wherein each of said electricalcontact members is a bracelet.

6. An animated toy as defined in claim 1 including (h) a switch in saidelectrical activating circuit, said switch (h) being in parallel withsaid switch (d), and (i) means for maintaining said switch (h) open whensaid appendage is in its initial position and closing said switch (h)after said appendage is moved out of its initial position, whereby saidcircuit is completed by said switch (h) until said appendage returns toits initial position.

7. An anmated toy as defined in claim 1 wherein said means (g) includesa cam rotatable by said circuit, and a cam follower engaging the surfaceof said cam and transmitting the motion of the latter to said spring,the surface of said cam having of rotation of said cam (II) a graduallyinclined portion joining said two points,

and

(HI) a sharply inclined portion joining said two points,

said spring being tensioned as said follower rides along said graduallyinclined portion from the point closer to the cam axis to the fartherpoint and said tensionvbeing suddenly released when said follower movespast said farther point.

8. An animated toy as defined in claim 2 wherein each of said appendagescomprises two relatively movable parts, and including (j) means formoving said parts with respect to each other as said appendages movewith respect to said body.

9. An animated toy as defined in claim 8 wherein said toy is a doll,said appendages are the arms of the d011, said parts of each appendageare an upper arm and a forearm pivotally joined at an elbow region, andsaid means (j) causes each arm to bend at the elbow.

10. An animated toy as defined in claim 8 wherein said means (j)includes a series of gears within each of said appendages.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,153,879 10/1964 Lucas 46-l 19X3,170,265 2/1965 Goldfarb 46-l 19X LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner D.L. WEINHOLD, JR., Assistant Examiner

